Pneumatic weft detecting mechanism for looms



Oct. 16, 1934. o, v YN E PNEUMATIC WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 9, 1935 v msentor @scar U Paqne (lttornex s Patented Oct. 16, 1934 ATENT OF'FEQ PNEUMATIC WEFT DETECTING MECHA- NISM FOR LOOMS Oscar V.Payne,' Worcester, Mass, assignor to Cron'ipton 82 Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass, a,- corporation App lication January 9,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for detecting substantial exhaustion of weft in a loom shuttle, whereby weft replenishment or loom stoppage may be effected.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved mechanism by which the condition of the weft supply in the active shuttle may be determined without mechanical engagement of the weft by any moving part.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved detecting mechanism, with the weft carrier shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional side elevation, taken 20 along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and s Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing certain electrical connections.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a portion of a lay having a back box plate 11, front binder 12 and picker 13 which provide a box for the shuttle S. The shuttle S is of a usual type and is shown as provided with guides 14 and 15 through which the weft W is threaded The weft W is indicated as Wound on a'cop tube having a slot 21 disposed at one side thereof and near the base of the cop., A sleeve 22 of thin'rubber or other similar and-suitable material is mounted on the cop tube 20 and covers the slot 21.

The cop tube 20 is positioned in the shuttle by placing the tube on a shuttle spindle25 having a base portion 26 (Fig. 2) resting on aplate27 and notched to receive a pivotal projecting portion 28 of the plate 27. r 1

The upper face of the base 26 is formed with two oppositely inclined faces 29 and is engaged by a flat spring 30 which is secured in a recess in the top of the shuttle by a screw 31. The apex -32 of the spindle base 26 is off-center with respect to the pivotal projection 28, so that the spring 30 holds the spindle firmly in horizontal position during loom operation, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

When the weft supply is to be replenished, the spindle 25 is swung partially upward and the spring 30 engages one of the inclined faces 29 to hold the spindle in upwardly inclined position during the replacement of the exhausted weft carrier.

The spindle 25 is provided with, a recess in of Massachusetts 1933, Serial No. 650,834

its base 26 and with an axial passage 41 coma municating with one or more transverse passages 42. These transverse passages are preferably positioned between helical ribs 44 on the outer face of the spindle 25, these ribs being of sufficient height so that a continuous air passage is formed from the transverse openings 42 to the slot 21 in the cop tube 20, regardless of the angular position of the slot 21 with reference to the transverse passages 42. a

An air container, preferably in the form of a rubber ball 45, is mounted in a recess in the shuttle below the spring 30 and is provided with an extension 46 snugly fitting in the recess 40 and having an axial passage 47 communicating withthe'pa'ssage 41 in the spindle 25.

A plunger 56 is mounted in a stand or bracket 51 on the loom frame and is pressed yieldingly rearward by a coil spring 52. The pressure of the spring may be varied by an adjusting screw 53'. The plunger is also provided with a cross arm 54 in which a contact screw 55 is adjustably mounted.

As the lay 10 moves forward, the plunger 50 enters a slot in the binder 12 and an opening 61 inside of the shuttle S and engages the side of the rubber ball or air container 45.

If the ball resists deflation, the plunger 50 is moved forward with the lay, and the contact screw 55 is held out of engagement with a contact plate 57 on the front of the binder 12. If, on the other hand, the ball 45 does not resist deflation, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1, with the screw 45 engaging the plate 57 and completing an electrical circuit by which loom stoppage is effected.

The mechanism for stopping the loom on completion of the electrical circuit forms no part of my present invention and reference is made to my prior Patent #1,873,465 issued August 23, 1932 fora full disclosure of such mechanism.

This mechanism is indicated diagrammatically V in Fig. 3, in which a line wire L is connected through a wire '10, solenoid '71 and Wire 72 to the contact-plate 57 and thence through the screw 55 to a ground on the loom frame F, as indicated at G in Fig. 3.

The other line wire L is connected through a wire '73 to an arm 74 which is engaged by a cam '75 on the bottom shaft '76 at each revolutionof the bottom shaft and at each alternate forward movement of the lay 10. The cam '75 is likewise grounded on the loom frame F as indicated at G. The motor M for driving the loom may be connected in parallel to the same power circuit if so desired.

The operation of the loom-stopping mechanism is such that the closing of the circuit through the solenoid 71, upon engagement of the contact screw 55 with the plate 57, renders the cam effective through a lever to actuate the knock-oif shaft 81 and thus stop the loom. For a more complete description of this mechanism, reference is made to my prior patent above identified.

When the active shuttle 8 contains a weft carrier or cop tube having a sufficient supply of weft W thereon, as indicated in Fig. 2, the rubber sleeve 22 is held tightly over the slot 21 and is held in close engagement with the cop tube 20 at both ends of the slot 21. Accordingly, the air in the ball 45 is unable to escape when the ball is engaged by the plunger 50, and consequently the plunger 50 is moved forward, preventing contact of the screw 55 with the plate 57.

When the weft supply is substantially exhausted, as indicated in Fig. 1, there will remain only a few turns of weft at the extreme bottom of the cop tube 20 and overlying the bottom end only of the rubber sleeve 22. Consequently, when the ball 45 is then engaged by the plunger 50, the ball is partially deflated, either by escape of air from the free end of the sleeve 22 or by the outward expansion of the thin sleeve 22, as indicated in Fig. 1. In either event, sufiicient air escapes from the ball 45 to permit the screw 55 to engage the contact plate 5'7 and complete the electrical circuit, thereby causing stoppage of the loom.

By the provision of the helical ribs 44, I make it unnecessary to align the slot 21 with the transverse passages 42 when placing the cop tube on the spindle.

It will be obvious that when the shuttle S is at the opposite side of the loom there will be nothing to prevent contact of the screw 55 with the plate 57. For that reason I have provided the arm '74 which must be engaged by the cam 75 to complete the electrical circuit. Such engagement takes place only when the shuttle S is at the detecting side of the loom, but when the shuttle is at the opposite side the circuit is broken between the parts '74 and '75 so that no indication of loom stoppage can be given.

My improved detecting mechanism is particularly desirable for use with silk or other fine or delicate weft threads, as no mechanical element engages the weft in the detecting operation, as has been customary in weft detectors previously in commercial use. The operation of the detecting mechanism depends entirely on the retention or escape of air from the rubber ball 45, and the escape of air is directly controlled by the presence or absence of the final layer of weft windings about the middle and left-hand portions of the rubber sleeve 22 (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2) Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a loom, a shuttle, means in said shuttle effective to confine definite volume of air, and means to indicate loom stoppage when a substantial portion of said air is ejected, said latter means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said first-named means.

2. In a loom, an air-containing member, means to retain air in said member, and means to indicate a change in loom operation when a substantial portion of said air is ejected, said means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said member.

3. In a loom, an air-containing member, means to normally retain air in said member, said means becoming inoperative to retain air on substantial weft exhaustion, and means to indicate a change in loom operation when a substantial portion of said air is ejected, said latter means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said member.

4. In a loom, an air-containing member, means to normally retain air in said member, said means being rendered efiective to retain air by a substantial supply of weft in said shuttle, and means to indicate a change in loom operation when a substantial portion of said air is ejected, said latter means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said member.

5. In a loom, a shuttle having an air-containing member, means to normally retain air in said member, said means being rendered effective to retain air by a substantial supply of weft in said shuttle, and means to indicate a change in loom operation when the weft in said shuttle is substantially exhausted, thereby permitting a substantial portion of said air to be ejected, said latter means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said member.

6. In a loom, a shuttle having a deflatable air container mounted therein, and detecting means yieldingly engaging said air'container at each alternate forward movement of the lay, said detecting means becoming operative to effect a change in loom operation only on partial deflation of said air container, and said detecting means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said container.

'7. In a loom, a shuttle having a deflatable air container mounted therein, and detecting means yieldingly engaging said air container at each alternate forward movement of the lay, said detecting means becoming operative to effect a change in loom operation only on partial defiation of said air container and said detecting means being normally held from indicating action by the air confined in said container, and said air container being deflatable by said detector only in the absence of a sufficient weft connected to said axial passage, and means to partially deflate said air container on the occurrence of substantial exhaustion of weft on said weft carrier.

10. The combination in a loom as set forthin claim 9, in which the spindle is provided with external ribs at each side of said outlet defining air passages around said spindle and between the body of said spindle and a weft carrier mounted thereon.

11. In a loom, a shuttle having a spindle with a peripheral air outlet, a defiatable air container connected to said outlet, a cop tube having a peripheral air opening communicating with said air outlet when said tube is in operative position on said spindle, yielding detecting means engaging covering the peripheral opening therein, the middle portion of said sleeve being expansible when the weft wound thereon is removed.

14. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 11, in which said latter means comprises a thin rubber sleeve snugly fitting said cop tube and covering the peripheral opening therein, the middle portion of said sleeve and the end portion nearer the tip of the top tube being expansible when the weft wound thereon is removed.

OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

